Check writer



March 2, 1926.

G. M. WILLIS CHECK WRITER 3 Seets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1924 wit?) March 2 1926. 1,574,775

G. M. WILLIS v CHECK WRITER Filed March 5. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE.A

GEORGE M. WILLIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO CHECKOMETER SALES C0.,

i A CORPORATION.

CHECK WRITER.

Application filed March 3, i924. Serial No. 696,421.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. VVILLis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Check Writers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements l ir. check-writers and the like, and its objects arel to make the impression produced on the check or other instrument more distinct and of better appearance and more difficult to alter or remove, and to provide an improved printing mechanism fnorproducing such an in'ipression, and a printing mechanism the construction, operation, and co-action between the elements of which is a general improvement over the printing mechanisms heretofore provid-ed.

The inventi-on is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a device embodying the .invention and adapted for producing an impression in ac cordance therewith;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view ot one of the type bars;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of one form of platen; A

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view of another forni of platen;

Fig. 6 is a detail section on line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 4i;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 shows fragmentari ly a check printed or impressed with the platen shown in Fig.

and I n Fig. 10 is a similar view of a check printed oi' impressed with the platen shown in Fig. 5.

The improvements ofthe present invention are attained in conjunction withdevices of the class shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,321,348 granted Noveinber'11, 1919, and in my copending application-s, Serial No. 481,632 filed June 3l), 1921, and Serial No. 563,229 filed May 24, 1922. `Generally speaking, devices of this class include a 'plurality of longitudinally Shifable' print ing bars, each of which is provided witha set of consecutively arranged numeral type oi' characters co-operable with a suitable platen, the type bars being independently adjustable so that the desired characters may be aligned to co-operate with the platen and impress or print on the instrument the amount for which the instrument is drawn.

-The device shown comprises a frame 5 having an Yopening 6' through which the check or other instrument to be protected is inserted, the printing line (z a being delined by theV dot and dash lines of Fig. 1. The bottom of opening 6 is defined by a plate ySi Vand along the top of said opening are a pair of upper plates 9 and 10. Plates 9 and 1() are spaced apartalong line L a and plate 8 has a. transverse opening 11 to permit inking the printing characters and perforating and printing or impressing upon the check through said space and opening. The type bars are mounted for longitudinal sliding or shifting movement upon plates 9 and 1.0, the bars carrying the tens and unit of tens or cents characters and designated 7 being mounted side by side between a longitudinal block 12 of I formation and a block 13 and the bars 7 carrying the dollars, tens` of-dollars, hundreds-of-dollars, etc., characters are mounted side by side between bar 12 and a bar 14. Block 13 carri-es in line z a the characters cts. Block 12 carries in line (z a the word and7 and bar 141 is enlarged along said line and is adapted to carry a trade symbol or other character or characters in line with the printing characters in printing position so that in making the impression the desired amount will be impressed and said amount will be preceded by a symbol or character which may bear a definite relation to the signature itself.

The device is enclosed in a sheet metal housing 15 having a bottoni 16 and a. top or cover 17. Each type bar 7 and 7 hasau operating finger 19. Fingers 19 extend through parallel slots in the cover 17. A detent finger 21 on each type bar 7 and 7 cooperates with the transverse corrugations of a corrugated aligning plate orsheet 22, tc center or align the selected `characters transversely iii line (z a. 'Each bar 7 and 7 has an indicating strip 23 bearing nume'ials Sor characters corresponding to the c haracterson thet'ype' bar and superposed thcreabove to be exposed through windows Q-l and indicate the setting of the -*printing characters of the machine.

The inliing pad for inking the plintns' Qheuecters ...is .carried br the .Plate 26 hinged ivith an arm or plate 27 upona shaft 28 carrie-d at its opposite ends by a pair of arms 29 pivoted at their lower ends at 30 upon opposite sides of frame 5. Arm Vor plate 27 carries the perforator, which compises tivo groups 31 and 32 of relatively )thin needles, one group 3l for perforating the area of the check inV which the amount payable is impressed and the other for perforatingthe area in which the payees name is vWritten or impressed as shown atVQO'and 92 respectively in Figures 9 and 10.` The platen is carried by a plate 3l hingedly .or swingahly mounted upon a shaft 35 carried at its opposite ends by arms 36 pivoted at their loi-ver ends at 3T upon opposite sides of frame 5. Arms 29 and 35 are' connected -by :links 38. An operatingor crank shaft l0 has an operatingliandle or arm il and a cam orvoperating block 42 fixed ou the shaft cooperates with a lug projecting from an arm t3 pivoted on shaft lll carried by arms 36,to saving arms 36 and 29 about shafts 80 and 37 with a longitudinal nioveinent of the platen from position below line a o and an accompany/ing longitudinal movement of linking pad 25 and the perforat-ing mechanism 'into position substantially in said line whereupon rollers 45 of thecranlr varm assembly are forced up, by opening of the togglel connection between shafts /l-,Osffl and pin 1li' engaging in sloft 4S and force the perforator intov perforating cooperation'ivith the check andthe lpad 25, which yis above lthe check, into inlring cooperation with the pifinting characters po.- sitioned in line o o.; This' vlis accomplished by rotation of shaft 40 through 180 degrees less in a counter-clockwise"direction,Fig. 1'` wherein en 'said shaft -is rotated in the opposite direction, swinging` the cradle and thereby the inhing pad, -perforator and plat,-

ven Ainto the positions shown1 whereupon the planten 323 is forced up 'into' cooperation *with `the printing characters and produces `the impression in one of the perforated areas of the check.

The un-der surfaces of the type hars 7 and 7" fiat as lshown atti() and projectingfrom raid flat surfaces 1re the numerals;'symbols or other printing'characters 52; rlie char,- actersare formed bjfalternate p 'iecting' preferablyv sharp 'edged parallel ridges and grooves andl. The platen 33 -Aextende transverseljv vacross thcpniachine substantially normal to ,thedir `ation 'of movement of bars and 7 aindtliat potien of its upper surface avhichfcooperates with the printing characters 'on shiftabley bars fi' and 7( and renti-rely here @gaand 1,55 .i

of the )rintino' characters.

lllhenfthe inkin g pad is pressed up against the printing characters ink applied to the edges of the ridges or projections 53 thereof and when the platen is forced up into cooperation with the printing characters with the check or other instrument between them, each .character produced upon the cheek is formed' by a plurality of relatively closely spaced parallel and relatively fine lines, as 'shown in Fig. 9. The character forming lines produced are at Ythe bottom of the parallel lineal depressions :formed in the check and ,parallel lineal protnberances are raised up between said lines. The space in which vthe impression is made having been preferably already perforated the relatireljsharp"1-idges carry the ink effectively iuto *the raised edges of the perforation and the lineally raised portion oit.' `the check produced makes removal or alteration of the impression practically impossible. The check is peri''or'ated and the fibers forced out around the perforations and instead of forcing the edges and 'fibers bach into the plane offthe .check in making Vthe impression, said edges are forced alternately into different pla-nes. Thefmutilated projecting ridges formed inthe check increase the diliieulty of reaching the inked lines forining the characters to remove or alter same: kand the lineal 'depressing of said lines increases the diiiieulty of removing or altering them. The sloping surfaces adjacent the projecting ridges of the type carry the ink into ,the disruptededges of the paper.

It should be noted that the grooves and ridges in the `printing characters are parallel with each other and with the direction of shifting movement'of the type bars. Diniculty in properly registering the ridges and grooves of the platen with the cooperating grooves and ridges of the type is A thereby miniii'iized, due to the fact that when proper registration with the ridges and groove in one character is produced, the ridges yand grooves in all the other characters are contiliuat-ions of the same grooves and ridges and equally proper regis/tration will be had with allc as distinguished from movement of one set of ridges' and grooves into cooperation with an entirely i`ndependently formed set every Vtime the chara ters are changed to impress a different' amount or symbol; To minimize Wear along lthey cooperating ridges and grooves of the platen fe-@115111.

llO

ype bars or the cooperating grooves and ridges may be. otherwise properly registered. It is also Within the contemplation of my invention to arrange the lineal ridges and grooves on the type bars about the characters with the character itself recessed or depressed instead of on the printing faces of the cha'acters with the surrounding surface recessed or depressed as shoivii. The projection of the ridges on the type may be slightlyvgreater than the projection of the ridges on the platen to secure greater force of cooperation along the inked lines produced than along the raised uninked edges, and the cooperating ridges may be sharp enough to mutilatc the paper along the ridges produced therein.

The platen 7 O shoivn in Fig. l has a groove 72 extending along its ridgedand grooved impressing surface parallel and centrally between the opposite sides thereof so that the impression produced upon the check will be substantially as shown in Fig. 10, the alternate ridges and grooves and inked lines being interrupted centrally. This is especialr ly advantageous in securing an impression of sufiicient strength Where the paper is mutilated by the alternate grooves and ridges. The characters on bars 12 and 13 are preferably formed substantially like those on bars 7 and 7 and the surface of the platen which cooperates ivith said characters is grooved and ridged. The characters on bar 14; are, however, preferably of the flat faced type and the platen has al flat faced portion cooperable therewith.

I claim:

1. In a check Writer, the combination of a platen having a 'plurality of parallel grooves across its impression face in the dircction of its least dimension, a plurality of type bearing bars mounted for longitudinal shifting movement parallel with the grooves in the impression face of the platen and normal to the length of said platen, said type bearing bars each having a plurality of printing character for selective registration with the platen to impress differentamounts, said printing characters being defined by grooves in the impression faces of each type bar parallel with each other and parallel with the shifting movement of the type bars, said grooves being parallel with the grooves inl the impression face of the platen and the grooves in each type bar being common to .all 0f the printing characters thereon so that the same grooves cooperate with the grooves in the platen in all of the selective printing positions of each bar.

2. In a device of the class "described, a platenrhaving alternate parallel grooves and ridgesv across one face in the direction of its least dimension, a plurality of parallel type bearing members extending across said platen. in the direction of said grooves and ridges and adapted for longitudinal shifting movement parallel the grooves in the platen, said type bearing members each hav ing a plurality of printing characters adapted to be brought selectively into position for cooperation with the platen, said printing characters being definedl by alternate parallel grooves and ridges extending longitudinally of the type bearing members and paral lel the grooves and ridges in the platen and parallel the shifting movement of the type bars so thatthe same grooves in the type bars cooperate with the `grooves in the platen in all of the selectivc'printing positions of each bar.

3. In a device of the class described, a plurality of type bearing members, a platen, said type bearing members having printing characters adapted to be brought selectively into position for cooperation with the platen, means for effecting relative movement to cause. cooperation of the type and platen, a plurality of parallel grooves in the platen and a plurality of ridgesdefining the printing characters of the type bearing members, said ridges being parallel ivith said grooves and with each other, also parallel with the movement of the type bars and the ridges at the respective printing characters being continuations of each other, said ridges meshing with the grooves of the platen upon cooperation of the type and platen.

li. In a device of the class described, a transversely disposed platen, a plurality of type bearing members disposed parallel with each other and substantially normal to the platen, said type bearing members having` printing characters adapted to be brought selectively into position for cooperation With the platen, and adapted for lineal shifting movement in the direction of their length, means for effecting cooperation of the type and platen, a plurality of parallel grooves in the platen.y and a plurality of ridges defining the printing characters of the type bearing members, said ridges being parallel With each other and ivith the grooves of the platen, also parallel ivith the lineal shifting movement of the type bais, and adapted for meshing ivith said grooves when the type and platen cooperate.

5. ln a device of the class described, a casing having a check .receiving opening, a platen extending transversely through the casing beloiv said opening, a plurality of pai'alleltype bars extending longitudinally nrough' the casing above said opening, said bars being mounted for longitudinal shifting ii'ioveinent and having printing characters adapted to be brought selectively intoA position lor cooperation with the platen, said characters being defined by parallel ridges extendinglongitudinally along the type bars Y parallel with their longitudinal shifting movement, and a plurality of parallel grooves extending across the upper face ot' the platen in the direction of its least dimension, saidv grooves being parallel with the direction ot' shittingVino'ven'ient of the type bars and adapted for meshing with the character defining ridges thereot whenv platen and type cooperate.

G. In a device of the class described, a platen, a plurality of type bars adapted for longitudinal shifting movement a'cro'ss the platen', said bars having printing characters adapted to be selectively positioned forcoopeietion ivi'tl'il the platen by said longitudinal shitting movement, means for effecting cooperation ot type and platen, a plurality ol parallel character defining ridges on the impression tace of the type bars and a plurality of grooves on the impression face of the platen, said grooves being parallel with each other and with said ridges and adapted for meshing With said ridges upon cooperation of type and platen and both said grooves and ridges being parallel yvitli theshifting ni'ovement of the' type bars.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of means for irst perforating a thin sheet, and means for thereafter impressing printing characters in the perforated area, said last means including a platen, and type bearing bar adapted for longitudinal shifting movement in a direction normal to the length of the platen, said type' bearing bar having printing characters defined bya plurality of parallel ridges extendiiigl along the impression face of the bar parallel with its longitudinal shifting move'n'ient and a plurality of parallel coopeating grooves in the impression face ot the platen, said grooves extending in the direftion ot' the least dimension ot' said l'ace and parallel with the direction of longitudinal shifting movement ot the type bar.

l S; In a device of the class described, a type bearing member adapted for longitudinalV shifting? movement, said member having an iinpression face, printingcharacters on said tace, and alternate grooves and ridges delining saidl characters, said grooves and rid/ges extending parallel with each other and parallel with the longitudinal shifting movement of said member.

9. In a device of the class described, a type bearing nien'iber adapted for longitudinal shifting movenient, said member having an impression face, a plurality of printing characters projecting therefrom, said characters having alternate grooves and ridges on its impression face, said grooves and ridges extending parallel with the other and parallel ivith longitudinal shifting movement of said member andv being common to all of the' printing' characters on the bar.

In vvitness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19 day of February, 1924.v

GEORGE M. VILLIS. 

